Tongue for trailer vehicles



Jan. 2, 1945. c. E. STRINGER TONGUE FOR TRAILER VEHICLES Filed Oct. 25, 1943 enema Jan. 2, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TONGUE FOR TRAILER VEHICLES Charles Edward Stringer, Farnhamville, Iowa Application October 25, 1943, Serial No. 507,619

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to a tongue for a trailer vehicle and in particular to an extensible tongue for a wagon adapted to be connected to a power operated tractor or drawn by horses.

A trailer vehicle such as a wagon which is attachable to a tractor or the like usually has a stub tongue to provide for the wagon being adjacent. the tractor and to in turn reduce the over-all length of the tractor-trailer combination. When it is desired to have the wagon drawn by a team of horses, therefore, it is necessary to replace the stub tongue with a wagon tongue of normal length. As a result two tongues are usually required to provide for the wagon being drawn by horses and a tractor.

Where the wagon is tractor-drawn through a stub shaft considerable difficulties are encountered in making sharp turns because of the interference between parts of the wagon with a part of the tractor or vehicle to which it is connected. This is particularly true where the wagon is attached to the back of a corn picker, as is customary in corn picking operations, because of the interference of the wagon with the elevator structure at the rear end of the-com picker.

Another disadvantage with: the usual wagon tongue is found in the fact that on disconnection from a tractor or the like its free end falls to the ground. Connecting the tongue with'the tractor,

therefore, generally requires appreciable manipulation of the tractor to position it relative to the tongue so that the tongue on being lifted is adiacent. the point of connection on the tractor.

wagon having means manually actuated by the tractor operator, while he is on the tractor, for extending the tongue to a desired length while o the wagon is being pulled.

I :A feature of this invention is found in the provision of a wagon tongue having meansat its free end-adapted for connection with a tractor unit s amens at its opposite end providing for its supportaway from the ground to facilitate its connection with the tractor unit.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the wagon tongue of this invention showing it in a fully contracted position and connected with a tractor unit;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the wagon tongue showing it in a partly extended position and with parts in section to more clearly show its construction;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the tongue when it is in the extended position shown in .Fig. 2;

section I2. The extendible member II is of channel construction of a size to be received in the open end I 3 of the main member l0 and slidably supported within the main member ill for longitudinal movement relative thereto.

To provide for the extension of the member ii to adjusted positions relative to the main or tubular member I!) lug or block portions M are longitudinally spaced Within and at the bottom oi the slidable channel member II. The member H has its open side toward the top of the wagon tongue as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Cooperating with the lugs H to hold the member II in an adjusted position is a pivoted latch member l6 of angular shape having one end pivotally supported in a bearing member I! carried on the top of the main member 10 adjacent its end l3, and an opposite end l8 extended through an opening I! in the top of the member In for engaging the lugs ll (Fig. 4). The end of the latch I8 is of a bifurcated construction with the bifurcations being spaced a distance apart corresponding substantially to the width of 'a lug I4. Thus when the latch I6 is in an engaged position with a lug M a bifurcation is positioned to each side of a lug, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, to in turn hold the extendible member ll against longitudinal movement in either direction relative to the main member Ill. The latch i6 is yieldably urged into an engaging position with a lug H by a spring 2I arranged in compression between the latch l6 and a bracket 22 carried on the main member III. As best appear in Fig. 4 the inner end 23:: of the member II is bent upwardly to a position for engaging the latch l6 and constitutes a limit for defining the maximum extension of the member II from the member II.

In order to attach the tongue to a wagon or like vehicle (not shown) the enlarged end portion I2 of the member III has aligned holes 23 in opposite sides thereof to receive a usual king pin 24 extended through hound members 26 for the wagon (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). The attachment of the tongue and hounds is accomplished by removing the king pin 24 and inserting the tongue between the hound members 26 until the openings 23 are in alignment with the king pin openings in the hounds 26. The king pin 24 is then inserted through the aligned openings and pivotally supports the tongue for pivotal movement in an up and down direction between the hound members 26.

For connecting the tongue with a tractor (not shown) the free end of the extendible member I I carries a roller 21 which is rotatably supported between arms 23 and 28a welded or otherwise secured to the bottom and top of the member II as viewedin Fig. 3. Coacting with the roller 21 and carried on the tractor is a coupler device indicated generally at 30 comprised of a base portion 23 which is secured to a draw bar 3I on the tractor. Pivotally connected to the base member 23, for movement in an up and down direction. is a coupler plate 32 having a guiding recess 33 for the roller 21 formed in its free end. The plate 32, at the bottom of the guide recess 33, is cut away to form a pocket 34 for receiving the roller 21. The roller is held within the pocket 34 by a sprin pressed keeper 36 which is pivoted at 31 and manually operated out of a roller holding position through a rope or the like 36.

As viewed in Fig. 1 the keeper 36 is movable in a clockwise direction to a position under the plate 32 and out of the pocket 34 to permit the roller 21 entering the pocket. The keeper 36 is moved in a counterclockwise direction by a spring 35 to its roller locking or holding position defined by engagement of the keeper with a stop member 33 on the bottom of the plate 32. It is thus seen that on movement of the roller 21 within the guide recess 33 and into the pocket 34 the keeper 36 is engaged and pivoted by the roller 21 in a clockwise direction. On movement of the roller 21 to a position adjacent the end 4| of the pocket 34 the keeper 36 slips past the roller 21 and into its roller locking position against the stop 39. Thus with the tongue supported in a raised position at which the roller 21 is capable of entering the guide recess 33 it is only necessary to reverse or back up the tractor in order to locate the roller in a locked position within the pocket 34.

To support the roller 21 for connection with the coupler device 30 in this manner there is provided a substantially U-shaped bracket member 42 straddling the hounds 26 and having the legs thereof pivoted on the king pin 24. A rod 43 is extended from the base of the U-shaped member 42 longitudinally of and below the member I6 and in a direction away from the hounds 26. The free end 45 of the rod 43 is carried in an eye member 44 welded or otherwise secured to the bottom of the member I adjacent its end I3. A spring 46 is mounted on the rod 43 and arranged in compression between the eye member 44 and an adjustable nut 41 which is s id ble on the rod 43. On disconnecting the roller 21 from th coupler 28 the downward movement of the wagon tongue is limited by the compression of the spring 43 between the adjusting nut 41 and the eye member 44. and the spring pressure thus produced is applied through the rod 43 to pivot the bracket 42 until the base 46 thereof engages operator's seat on the tractor.

the hounds 26. It is readily apparent that the downward pivotal movement 01' the tongue can be limited to any desired position by merely changing the effective pressure of the spring 46 by adiustment of the nut 41. By virtue of this support of tongue in lifted position in substantially horizontal plane connection of tongue and tractor can be readily completed by the tractor operator, whereby second man usually required for this job is eliminated.

When the wagon or trailer vehicle i connected to the tractor the tongue is usually in its contracted position shown in Fig, 1. However, if a sharp turn, such as a complete reversal in direction U-turn is contemplated as commonly occurs in field work when pulling manure spreaders and the like, this contracted position of the shaft may result in the trailer vehicle moving or running into the tractor unit. Toeliminate any possibility of the wagon interfering with the tractor the tongue or shaft is extended to provide ample clearance between the wagon and the tractor. This extension can be accomplished by the tractor. operator, without his leaving the tractor, by the provision of an actuating arm 48 integrally formed with the latch member I6 (Figs. 3 and 4). Connected to the actuating arm 43 is a rope or cable 43 which extends to a position adjacent the Thus before negotiating a sharp turn it is only necessary for the operator to pull on the rope 49 to lift the latch l6 and extend the tongue by virtue of the member II being pulled from the member III by the tractor. After the turn has been negotiated the operator again lifts the latch I6 out of a lu engaging position and then reverses the tractor to contract the tongue by pushing the member I I within the main member I0. This longitudinal adjustment of the tongue by the tractor operator, while he is in position on the tractor, has a further advantage when the wagon is used with a corn picker.

It is common practice to connect a wagon behind a corn picker for collecting the picked corn'. Where the tongue of the wagon is of a fixed length the corn dumped from the usual elevator structure on the corn picker into the wagon always falls to the same place within the wagon. Thus it is usually necessary for one man to ride the wagon merely for the purpose of spreading the corn throughout the wagon. By means of the present invention this extra man is eliminated by initially. connecting the wagon to the corn picker with the tongue in a fully contracted position. As the picking operation proceeds the tongue is progressively extended by the tractor operator. as above explained; to in turn provide for the corn from the picker being dumped progressively closer to the front of the wagon. The spreadin of the corn within the wagon is thus accomplished by the tractor operator during the corn picking operation and while the operator is riding the tractor.

When the wagon is to be horse-drawn the member I I is extended to its full out position. A neck yoke for a horse i attachable to a hook 5| carried on the top side of the roller supporting arm 23a.

A double tree 50, adapted for connection with the usual harness tugs (not shown) is pivoted on a bolt 53 inwardly from the end section H of the main member "I, and held in place by a bracket 54 supported on the bolt 53 and a bolt 55.

In one embodiment of the invention the main or tubular member ID is fifty-nine inches long while the extendible member H is seventy-nine inches long, with the location of the latch member l6 being such as to provide for the extension of the member II to provide an all out length of nine feet six inches for the tongue. In its contracted position the tongue is about six feet long. The tongue is constructed entirely of metal and has an over-all weight of approximately 85 lbs. It is apparent, therefore, that the tongue is capable of being easily handled for assembly between the hound members of a wagon.

From a consideration of the above description it is seen that the invention provides a tongue for a trailer vehicle which is freely extended to varying lengths, either when the trailer is at a standstill or is in the act of being drawn, and having means for securely locking the tongue in an adjusted position.

Although the invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof it is to be understood thatit is not to be so limited since changes can be made therein which are within the full intended scope of this invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

An extensible tongue for a vehicle including a main member of tubular construction having one end connected to said vehicle, said main member having an opening in its top side adjacent the other end thereof, a member receivable in said other end and slidably supported within said main member for longitudinal movement to adjusted positions relative thereto, longitudinally spaced catch portions on said slidable member successively movable across said opening on longitudinal movement of the slidable member, latch means carried on said main member having a bifurcated portion movable within said opening into a straddling position with a catch portion, means yieldably urging said movable portion into said straddling position to hold said slidable member in an adjusted position against longitudinal movement in opposite directions, means for limiting the movement of said slidable member outwardly from said main member, and manually operated means for moving and holding said movable portion out of a straddling position with a catch portion to provide for a free slidable movement of said slidable member to an adjusted position.

CHARLES EDWARD S'I'RINGER. 

